COLUMN: Tom Mayberry made the right call on Outlaws

Simply put, anyone who thinks Tom Mayberry didn't do the right thing by pulling the plug on the PASS Outlaw Late Model division this season is wrong.

Single-digit car counts and concerns from promoters planning on running Outlaw shows added up to a lose-lose situation. And Mayberry did the only thing he could do to help everyone out.

Yes, I said everyone -- including those teams who were in the Outlaw fold.

I've been critical of Mayberry's PASS organization in the past -- can anyone say, "Lucky Dog?" -- but in the interest of fairness, it's important to give credit where credit is due. Mayberry said he made phone calls all winter long to potential Outlaw drivers, and as many as 20 teams told Mayberry that they were committed to running the series in 2008.

Then opening day rolled around at Speedway 95, and only 9 cars were on hand for a race won by Scott Mulkern, who by all accounts should be racing PASS North Series events, anyway. Mayberry tried to drum up interest for Round 2 at Grovetona a few weeks later, but only a dozen cars were on hand for the 75-lap event.

Poor attendance in both the grandstands and the pit area meant everybody took a bath on the event.

What, then, was Mayberry to do when Bobby MacArthur at All-Star Speedway called him and told him he had serious reservations about holding the scheduled May 31st Outlaw event at his track? He had only 8 teams committed, and he saw the writing on the wall.

The 7 events still to run in 2008 were all going to fight the same uphill battle. Cars presumably weren't going to show, promoters were going to have trouble making enough to even cover the purses and the Outlaw tour was going to die a slow, painful death.

So Mayberry called it off after a little more than 2 full seasons of Outlaw racing.

It was the only thing to do. Now, teams won't pile up expense bills trying to get to races so many miles from home, with no guarantee that when they got there they'd be racing for the money that was advertised.

Mayberry also was careful not to leave teams hung out to dry, blowing in the proverbial breeze. He contacted all but 1 team -- car No. 01, where are you?? -- and some expressed disappointment, but all said they were prepared the run a backup plan and race their cars.

Some will hit weekly races at Wiscasset Raceway or Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, others will head to New Hampshire to race there. A few others will simply up their programs and tackle some Super Late Model races with PASS North. Mayberry has pledged to allow the former Outlaw drivers to run as many PASS North races as they want in 2008 while still retaining their rookie status for next year's season if they so choose.

Mayberry also said he'll work with teams and not put a cap on the number of races they can run with wedge-style bodies. Previously, the rules limited a team from running more than 5 Super Late Model events with a wedge-style body.

Given that he's willing to work with these teams to get them into other races, and given the obvious fact that for whatever reason more than half the teams that promised to show up to run Outlaw shows never did make it to the events, Mayberry was left with only 1 choice.

Which really was no choice at all -- so it was impossible not to make the right call. He did.

Comments

[Maine ACT Fan]

Bravo to Tom Mayberry. I'm glad to see that he's giving so many options for the Outlaw drivers. Truly a class act.

[Andy B]

There seems to be mixed messages coming from PASS. Scott Reed was telling some Outlaw competitors last week that the 5 race limit would still be in effect for the wedge bodied cars. If they are in fact going to lift that limit, than that's a good thing for those teams, but lets remember who is responsible for teams needing to run that body in the first place. Before the Outlaw series nobody was running that body in New England. And the fact remains that for Maine Outlaw teams that have supported that series, and put on the wedge body to be competitive, they will have to either spend thousands of dollars for a body change, or drive hundreds of miles to race out of state, because the body that was pretty much forced on those racers isn’t allowed at tracks the run Pro Stocks weekly in ME.

Obviously a tour pulling in 10 cars a race can’t continue, but trying to blame racers who “promised” to support the series instead of the guy who created a lousy business plan in the first place is just blind to the facts. Everyone knew the series was in trouble before the season started when Mayberry was quoted in one of his own releases that he would be happy with 17 cars for the Outlaw races (I guess he must of gotten the 20 team promise after that release was sent out).

So, will the PASS Modifieds be next? Their numbers over the past few seasons have been much worst than the Outlaws and don’t show any signs of improving.

Mayberry creates a business plan that’s domed to fail (and does) and we are suppose to throw bouquets at the guy??

In the end, the series failed because the management of the series failed. Mayberry has pulled the rug out from racers before, just ask the teams racing at the Canaan dirt track.

So while I agree there wasn't anything left for the Outlaws to do, it really didn't need to come to this point if PASS had made some better decisions a couple seasons ago.

[Anonymous]

I wish I could create a law to keep Andy B from discussing PASS.

[MIKE HARNISH]

i have not heard that we can run the body the rest of the season, in fact scott told me again yesterday that we could only use it 5 times. now if tom has changed his mind that would be great for sure. wiscasset has also opened up for the outlaw teams a few weeks to change over aswell. istill feel the right thing to have done was finish the last 6 races, and then pull the plug after all there were no more teams signed up in febuary then ended up showing up in may,

[TB]

Your facts are a little off, Andy.

In fact, Wiscasset had an "open" body rule the last time they ran the Super Late Models, and one of the tracks in N.H. -- Canaan (?) -- ran an outlaw body class.

And we're not throwing bouquets at anyone's feet...

Let's also not let the teams entirely off the hook here, either, Andy. They all went out and chose to build these cars -- no one put a gun to their heads and forced them to run the tour -- and then the majority of those teams left them sitting in the garage this season.

[Mike Thomas]

Interesting stuff. I'm not sure who Mayberry (or anyone else) called on my team, either this winter or last week, because my phone certainly hasn't rung. I would think that as the ONLY fool who ran EVERY race since the inception of the series that I would have been near the top of the list. I actually heard the news...TA-DA....by reading this column.

I'm not disputing that the right call was made...I saw the writing on the wall, that's why we went to the ABC body, I'm just surprised/disappointed to find I was not important enough to merit the same phone call other got.

To say I'm not real trusting of running a bunch of races and still having my rookie status for next year would be an understatement.

[MIKE HARNISH]

Mike i thought you were important enough to call, who the heck cares about rookie status not like any of us are going anywhere,i just want to race and right now its one of my only options, travis you are right no one held a gun to our head,BUT we were given a posted schedule purse points purse we also knew we had to run against the 84 without the body its near impossible to beat him with it would still be quite a chore. so those of us who did choose to support this series should have had some of the same respect. MIKE THOMAS IS RIGHT the tour should really have called everyone involved. we can beat it into the ground but thats not worth it. travis i need some tires for the toyota 250 wanna help?

[TB]

Geez, Mike, I'd love to help. But I have no talent and I'm not worth the ink this stuff is printed on -- so what can little ol' me do?

My point was not that it's a great thing for you guys the division was canceled -- it's just that Andy wants to put all the blame on Tom for creating the tour. Andy wants us to feel like crying for the teams while spewing venom at Tom, when every racer in every division at every level chooses to build a car to run there because that's what they WANT to do.

[MIKE HARNISH]

your right travis, we build racecars by the rules and the posted schedule that best fits our interest. it is not our fault that pass let the outlaw rules get out of hand. why really should the season have even started 8 guys were signed up in march and still only 8 now. nothing had changed. simply put the call was made to can the series which should have been done way before the season started or at the end of the season not in the middle. travis you are playing both sides here i have read on a number of occasions you bad mouthing tom and pass. i have been upfront and honest with you and pass about the body rule about the motor rule and certainly about ending our season short. and i hope you did not mislead any of the outlaw teams when you stated that they would be allowed to finish the season with the wedge body because im certain that is not to be the case. tom said he will work with us but 5 races is 5 races.

[TB]

Hey, Mike, it's not my job to take sides -- it's my job to report and analye the news. The collapsing of a series is news.

As I wrote in the column, I have been critical of Tom and PASS. Never shied away from that. Never pretended I wasn't -- but just because I've been critical of him doesn't mean everything he does is bad. This was a good move, and I though it should be pointed out.

As far as the 5-race rule, all I can tell you is that Tom told me on the phone last week that he was willing to work with teams on that this year so as not to leave everybody in the dark.

But, as usual with the Outlaws guys, if he changes his mind for whatever reason, I'm sure it will be my fault that it happened.

Better yet, it will be because I "made it up," was only looking to "fling it" or felt like "stirring up controversy."

Funny, Mike, for all the personal attacks you led against me on MaineRacer.com for reporting that the series was in trouble -- I don't recall receiving an "attaboy" anywhere for having been correct in my original assessment.

Come to think of it, I'm still waiting for Speed51 to apologize for all the nasty things they said about my reporting last fall, too...

[MIKE HARNISH]

I agreed with you on your report that the outlaws were in trouble.i dont think i have ever blammed you for anything when it comes to pass or tom. what the personal attacks on you were your reporting of everyone else in the outlaw series was no talent and no equipment other than mulkern. now you say it was not a personal attack on us but travis you must be smarter than that to think outlaw teams would not take offence. you did report accuaratly about the low car counts and lack of fan support. but did you ever mention the teams other than mulkern haveing good runs. Not so much. so reporting negitivly and nothing positive is not helpful for fans that do read your articles to want to come to watch.. all we read about is pass slm and the rowes and clarks.. they deserve their credit without question. but others who try and those who have good runs should also be mentioned for their fans and sponsers. as i told scott reed several of times without the other 15 teams or so the rowes and clarks wont have a series to win on. so again nothing against your accuarte reporting on the outlaw series only on your persoanl slams on the rest of the 8 teams who tried t omake a go of it .

[TB]

Yep, never written a word about anyone but the Rowes and Clarks...

http://greenwhitechecker.typepad.com/greenwhitechecker/2008/05/harnish-an-outl.html

[MIKE HARNISH]

Travis nice writing or should i say copying riverside's press relese? Enough said.

[TB]

Oooohh. Good one.

Is this how your PR guy told you you should drum up media coverage? By cracking on the only reporter who has ever covered any of you races? Maybe you should get a new PR guy...

Better yet, you could fork over a wad of cash to another group of racing "journalists" and get them to write the story just the way you want to hear it.

[Andy B]

Travis,

I don't blame Mayberry for starting the tour - orginially it was quite successful, however I do blame him for letting it get out of hand (mostly with the bodies).

The fact of the matter is PASS introduced the Outlaw body to New England racing and teams wanting to be competitive had no choice but to put one on their cars. Now in the middle of the season some teams are left high and dry.

Look over the last two seasons of that series and count how many times a car with an ABC type body has won. If you wanted to win on the Outlaw series, you needed one of those bodies.

[MIKE HARNISH]

Travis travis, your getting all sensitive here. i think we bothknew the outcome of the outlaw series. but come on admit when your wrong about others hell i do, your reporting or wording you know was offensive. i dont care what you think of me as a driver or a person i have won many races in the past so i dont concern who likes or dislikes me. be geesh you have to admit you did not give hardly any at all positive comments on the racing on the track you only negitivly reported the lack of car counts and how much talent one guy had over the others.and how his equipment was far supurior. which by the way is a false statement. but your opinion and should have been posted as your opinion. i cant argue with you on this travis anylonger i have work to do on my car to get more competitive for the june 15th race at the center of speed. stop by and say hi next time your around the track.

[Dana Norris]

I have to stand up for Travis here Mike, when Gary ran an outlaw Travis did MANY stories on him, and the class as a whole. He traveled ALL over the state to report on all of the "local" drivers.
P.S. The best way to get media coverage....is to be decent to the guys that do the reporting!

Great run on Sunday at Wiss. and Congrats again on your win in NH. It's great to see one of us "little guys" gettin' it DONE!!!!!

[MIKE HARNISH]

I agree with you when the series first started he did cover it well but over the past two season he has covered it negitivily. shoot im 36 lol media coverage seriously thanks on your comments gary is running well i hope he can pull of the championship he deserves it